Heard whilst watching a rerun of a Cold Case episode: “So after that the guard had it out for him?”. It’s clear from context that what is meant is (as this Englishman would put it), the guard had it in for him, ie from that time the guard would make it his business to rain shit upon the unfortunate chap. To have it out with someone would mean rather to confront them, to argue with them.

So, have it out for. Real American usage or the actor in question misspeaking?

What Faldage said. I would tend to attribute “have it out for” to the limitless human capacity for mangling stock expressions, though perhaps it’s common enough to have to be considered a legitimate variant.

While the curmudgeon in my agrees with lionello, my pesky rational side insists on pointing out that neither version of the expression makes any better sense literally: it’s not like saying “head over heels” to mean upside-down, or “I could care less” to indicate a complete lack of interest.

There’s an interesting first cite in OED although I’m still not quite sure what it’s getting at.

1849 A. Harris Emigrant Family II. vi. 122 In consequence of a former disagreement, the speaker already ‘had it in for him’ whenever a drinking bout should afford opportunity for the said ‘it’ becoming a transferable possession.

BTW both the above and second cite ("1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms II. xviii. 283 He ‘had it in’ for more than one of the people who helped the police.") seem to be Australian. Significant? Perhaps so but it’s no more than speculation of course without firm evidence.

My reading of that first quote (which would admittedly benefit from more context) is that the party of the first part had it in for the party of the second part, and if the opportunity arose (such as finding him drunk) would give it to him.

I am familiar with the expression “having it in for someone.” Never heard of the ‘out’ version.

Could the ‘in’ version have been a contraction of another idiom? According to the Free Dictionary:

“have your knife into somebody (British & Australian informal)
to try to cause problems for someone because you do not like them eg Mike’s had his knife into me ever since he found out I was seeing his ex-girlfriend.”

My reading of that first quote (which would admittedly benefit from more context) is that the party of the first part had it in for the party of the second part, and if the opportunity arose (such as finding him drunk) would give it to him.

The Second World War army recruit gets a letter from home with some news and, puzzled, goes to bis sergeant. “Sarge”, he says, “my wife’s sent me a letter saying she’s had a baby, but I don’t see how that can be - I’ve not been home for 15 months.” “Private,” the sergeant says to him, “that’s what we call a ‘grudge’ baby.” “Grudge baby, Sarge?” “Yes, Private - somebody’s had it in for you.”